Mobile World Congress is approaching its record, bringing together 101,000 participants this year in Barcelona | Economy

Mobile World Congress (MWC) concluded its 18th edition in Barcelona this Thursday, bringing it even closer to the maximum number of participants achieved in 2019, a year before the pandemic. The mobile industry association GSMA put the congress’ attendance at 101,000, marking a full recovery for Asian congressmen, especially from China, who had been unable to attend properly in recent years due to still-existing restrictions. …was in this country due to Covid-19. The congress, which took place in the Fira de Barcelona building on Gran Via in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, became a meeting place for mobile phone manufacturers, but above all a place for discussions on new technologies, with a particular focus on advances in artificial intelligence. .

The historic maximum number of participants was reached in 2019, when 109,000 congressmen came to Barcelona, ​​spread across Fira sites in both L’Hospitalet and Montjuïc mountain in Barcelona. In 2020, the convention had to be canceled at the last minute due to the outbreak of the pandemic, and in subsequent editions it gradually regained strength as restrictions due to the health emergency eased: 20,000 people in 2021, 61,000 in 2022 and 88 500 people. last year.

The pandemic has had a major impact on GSMA’s reporting as most of its revenue comes from in-person meetings, but its visible face within the MWC organisation, John Hoffman, explained that they have been able to bounce back easily over the years. . “Barcelona MWC embodies the energy and vitality of the mobile ecosystem. We are proud to host this special event, which once again delivered four exceptional days of debate, thought leadership, inspiration and agreement-making,” Hoffman said in a statement.

This time, 101 thousand congressmen managed to gather at the Fira facilities in the Hospital alone. Congressmen come from 205 countries and regions, and up to 59% of them are engaged in industries that are not specifically mobile, but are activities revolving around this technological device. This year, the show featured more than 2,700 exhibitors, sponsors and partners, as well as more than 1,100 speakers, of whom 40% were women.

A statement from the employers’ association highlighted that more than half (51% of those present) were managers or company executives, reflecting the deal-making potential of the meeting. As part of the so-called “ministerial program,” which primarily discussed technology regulation, the congress brought together 180 government delegations from 140 countries.

This year, one of the main protagonists of the congress was the 4YFN entrepreneurship exhibition dedicated to start-ups, which, due to growing interest, has already been integrated into the MWC (previously it was held in parallel in Montjuïc), and this year occupied both floors of Pavilion 8 of Fira. On the tenth anniversary of this exhibition, 4YFN welcomed 930 exhibitors, 450 speakers and more than 1,000 investors.

GSMA CEO Mats Granryd emphasized the importance of the debates taking place around disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence or 5G communications: “The purpose of this event is to offer a vision of the future and demonstrate how they open up new opportunities.” The MWC will hold similar meetings this year in Shanghai, Las Vegas and Kigali, before returning to Barcelona from March 3 to 6, 2025.

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